Uncensored Google search in China, without a VPN or proxy

Submitted by martin on Thu, Apr 28, 2011

At the time of writing, we're monitoring 59 Google searches that are all blocked in China. This means that when in China, unless you're on a VPN or proxy and you try to search for any of these words in Google, you'll be presented with a blank page. However, there's currently a glitch in the firewall which can be used to get complete uncensored Google search in China on a standard internet connection.

It's done using Google SSL. Google SSL is hosted on an encrypted server meaning that anything that is sent or received is out of reach of the Great Firewall. This is a good reason for the Chinese authorities to block the service altogether. They have of course, but there's a loophole. Here's how to do it:

2. Type in google encrypted and click "I'm Feeling Lucky"

3. Search for anything, including searches blocked by the Great Firewall

Searching using Google SSL seems to be slow and unreliable in China, but it does work, at least while this is written. It may be just a question of time before the glitch is fixed. Meanwhile, we hope you find it useful. Don't know what to search for? Check out our list of blocked searches.

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Thu, Nov 24, 2016

Facebook is considering launching a censorship tool that would enable the world’s biggest social network to “enter” the China market. Sadly, nobody will be surprised by anything that Mark Zuckerberg decides to do in order to enter the China market. With such low expectations, Facebook is poised to usurp Apple as China’s favorite foreign intelligence gathering partner. If the company launches in China using this strategy they will also successfully erase any bargaining power that other media organizations may hold with the Chinese authorities.

Tue, Jul 05, 2016

There is a commonly held belief in China that if you have a VPN that works then you should keep quiet about it. In terms of freedom of access to information, the problem with this approach is that access to knowledge suddenly is a secret. Today we are launching a project that we hope will destroy that model.

Our newest website, Circumvention Central (CC), aims to provide real-time information and data about circumvention solutions that work in China. Since 2011, we have been collecting data about blocked websites in China and now we will add data about the effectiveness of VPNs and other circumvention tools.

We are launching CC with four main objectives in mind.

Our first objective is to help to grow the number of Chinese who circumvent censorship restrictions in China. By sharing our information and data about these tools, we hope to show a wider audience which circumvention tools are working.

Our second objective is to improve the circumvention experience for users in China by bringing transparency to tool performance. We will measure these tools on speed (how quickly popular websites are loaded) and on stability (the extent to which popular websites load successfully).

After Google found these unauthorized certificates, both Google and Firefox revoked its trust in CNNIC a few days later, a development we at GreatFire.org have adovacting forsince2013. Apple and Microsoft on the other hand, did not revoke their trust in CNNIC, nor did they make any announcements regarding the security compromise.